James Taylor Live(Columbia) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 1/2
Geezer alert: Anyone under 30 is excused from reading any further. James Taylor-unlike rockers Jerry Garcia and Neil Young-is among a small group of ’60s-era artists who define the demographic chasm between the MTV and VH1 generations. A quiet, unassuming post-folkie whose familiar original songs and covers have made him one of the most popular and enduring artists of the past 25 years, Taylor here goes the “Live” route for the first time. The generous double-CD (30 songs) jumps between plugged and unplugged versions of the songs his graying audiences came to hear and sing along to. The exquisitely produced set opens with an evocative “Sweet Baby James” then goes uptempo with a bouncy “Traffic Jam” and on and on through the hits, ably assisted by a jazzy band and four nimble backup singers. Everything’s very pleasant here, especially a rendition of George Jones’ “She Thinks I Still Care.” Nostalgic, yes, but clearly the work of a musician who still has much new to offer.